


Ghost of You: Divergence

by Hundashter



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Ghost Luz Noceda, Inspired by Fanfiction, Older Characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:48:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29652936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hundashter/pseuds/Hundashter
Summary: An alternative ending/continuation to RainbowJeff's ( https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowJeff/pseuds/RainbowJeff ) story, Ghost Of You. ( https://archiveofourown.org/works/26165947/chapters/63668026 ) I asked them for permission to do this, and they kindly gave me their blessings.Please go read their original story first, as this one takes off from the last chapter of that one.Luz and Amity believe their story is about to reach its tearful end, but a single step upon a different path can lead to a whole new world of possibilities...
Relationships: Amity Blight & Eda Clawthorne, Amity Blight & Eda Clawthorne & Luz Noceda, Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Eda Clawthorne & Luz Noceda
Comments: 6
Kudos: 60





	1. Ch. 10.5: Divergence

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Ghost Of You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26165947) by [RainbowJeff](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowJeff/pseuds/RainbowJeff). 



> I fell in love with the AU that RainbowJeff created with Ghost Of You, and kept having all these ideas about where it could go and grow as I read it! And then, well, y'know, it had a final chapter, tears were shed, and the story had its end. 
> 
> I was so inspired by their story though, that I went to great lengths to get into contact with them and ask if I could make this, a divergence, a continuation. And they were gracious enough to give me permission to play in the world they created. 
> 
> I've included all of their original work on chapter 10, their final chapter, in this first chapter of mine up to where I break off and begin my alternate path. I do not claim any of their writing as my own in any way at all, and again I will say that you should read their work to completion before reading this continuation of that story. In no way is this an attempt to undermine their work, I love their story from beginning to end and think they successfully did exactly what they set out to do with what they wrote. 
> 
> This is basically just 'Ok, that was a good story that made me cry bittersweet tears of empathetic longing. But, what if it didn't make me cry bittersweet tears of empathetic longing? What if, sad story was actually...happy?' So, here we are. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as i'm enjoying creating it.

#    
  
Chapter 10.5: Divergence

_ Amity, please look at me. _

Heartbroken and furious tears ran down her face as she walked briskly down the path that led to her house.

The ghost followed behind, pleading with her ever since she’d run from the festival.

_ Please! _

She only walked faster, brushing hot tears off her face. 

The mansion loomed in the distance, illuminated by the cold, cruel moon.

Fallen leaves crackled under her feet, a single tether to the real world, a small reminder of where she was. Amity latched onto the sound, trying to keep her head clear enough to just make it back to the house.

_ Please turn around. _

“Get lost.”

Her hands shook as she turned the doorknob, and she slammed the door behind her.

Amity ignored the sound of the door creaking back open behind her.

More tears fell as she entered her room, and she all but collapsed on the bed, and her body was racked with sobs.

_ Amity, can I please talk to you?  _

“Don’t you dare come in here.”

She heard a heavy sigh and what sounded like Luz sliding down her door.

__

_ I’m sorry.  _

Amity grabbed a vase from beside her bed and threw it against the door, where it shattered instantly upon contact, broken pieces scattering across the floor. She imagined that the vase resembled the broken pieces of her heart.

A quiet settled in the house.

“Leave me alone.”

No sound came from the other side of the door, but she knew that the ghost was gone.

~~~

Pale sunlight filtered through her window, beams hitting Amity’s eyes and forcing her to get up. She felt like lead had been injected into her veins. Her footsteps were unsteady as she made her way to the bathroom.

Bloodshot eyes stared back at her, dried tears staining her face and hair beyond tangled. She forced her hands to turn on the sink and splash some water on her face. 

Amity exited the bathroom and collapsed back on her bed. 

She didn’t want to remember. 

~~~

The late afternoon sun filled her room, rudely awakening her from the nap she’d been enjoying. It had been peaceful, no tears, no pain, no Luz. 

_ Amity. _

She groaned and gritted her teeth, forcing herself to look at the ghost that’d just materialized in her room. 

“I told you to leave me alone.”

_ I did.  _

“It wasn’t long enough.”

Luz’s face looked drawn and haggard, previously warm eyes cold and shining with sadness.

_ I couldn’t stay away longer. I need to talk to you.  _

_ We need to talk about this. _

Amity slowly sat up, head pounding and agony coursing through her body.

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

_ I didn’t lie to you. I love you. _

She felt the tears return as Luz looked at her with both an earnest and heartbroken expression. A lump formed in her throat.

“I didn’t lie either.”

The ghost exhaled shakily, burying her face into her hands.

Tears fell again, her heart far beyond broken.

_ Amity, I have to leave. I can’t stay anymore. I don’t belong here. _

__

_ You deserve someone still alive. _

“I don’t want anyone else! I want  _ you _ .”

Shining tears fell from behind Luz’s hands, disappearing before they hit the ground. 

_ I wish- _

__

_ It’s too late for us. I’m dead, you’re alive, so alive . _

__

_ Please come with me, I want your face to be the last thing I see before I go. _

“How can you ask me something like that?!”

Shuddering sobs escaped both of them, both ghost and witch unwilling to move, not wanting to accept what was happening.

“Just stay, please, just a few more days.”

_ I can’t. I should’ve told you earlier, but I’ve been fading for weeks. _

__

_ If I stay any longer, I’ll dissolve into nothingness, still conscious but with no form. It’s a fate worse than death. _

__

_ I forgave you weeks ago, and stayed, selfishly, because I enjoyed being with you so much _ . 

Amity wiped her eyes, the heavy weight of everything left unsaid pressing against her chest.

“I hate you.”

The words held no bite, and Luz chuckled weakly.

_ Please, come with me. One last request. _

Amity let out a heavy sigh, making her way to a standing position.

“What kind of person would be if I declined your after-death wish?”

Gold looked into brown, unspoken words and moments never experienced hanging on a string stretched between them.

\------   
  
  
Neither girl spoke a word as they walked, not knowing how or what to say to break the silence. This deafening quiet clawed at their minds while the knowledge of what was to come ripped at their hearts.    
  
This aching, maddening stillness persisted until Amity felt the now oh so comfortingly familiar chill fade from her side. “Luz?!“ She said worriedly as she whipped her head around, fearful that the girl had already begun to vanish from her life. 

But no, she had simply stopped and was standing still upon the snow covered path, staring out into the cold woods with an unreadable expression on her face.    
  
“Luz?“ Amity said again, this time as a question rather than a fearful exclamation. 

The ghost sighed before responding. <“It’s...it’s nothing, let’s just keep going, alright?“> She gave Amity a smile that held absolutely no reassurance whatsoever.    
  
Amity stepped in front of Luz and shook her head. “It’s not nothing, don’t lie to me, Luz. Not now, not when….“ She swallowed the lump in her throat, but couldn’t say the words. 

“You wouldn’t have stopped like this if it wasn’t important, so talk to me….please.“ In truth she didn’t care what they talked about, she just wanted the quiet to end, to hear Luz speak again.   
  
The ghost girl sighed and let her shoulders slump, looking back out into the woods. <“It’s just...Eda lives out that way, and I haven’t gone to see her since I died.“>

Amity couldn’t help but flinch, both at the word and at the thought of having to explain to Eda The Owl Lady, the most powerful witch in the boiling isles, that she, Amity, had-    
  
Her train of thought screeched to a halt as her brilliant mind began to piece together a half-baked plan of action. It was risky, stupid, and uninformed, and just the kind of plan Luz would probably make.    
  
Amity’s lips twitched upwards into a slightly manic smile, before she took off in the direction Luz had been looking. 

“Come on!“ She called out over her shoulder as she ran at full speed towards what was likely her one and only chance to save Luz. It truly did terrify her to think about meeting Luz’s mentor and explaining what had happened, but her heart had won out over her mind long ago.   
  
<“Amity, wait up!“> Luz called out, lagging behind the witch. 

“You’re a ghost, Luz! Can’t you just fly or something?“ Amity shot back. A moment later, the witch felt that frigid yet calming cold spot at her side again. Unlike the winter air, Luz’s ethereal temperature could slip past her coat without effort. 

<“Let’s toss it into the ‘Or something’ category, and thanks for reminding me!“> Luz said in a chipper tone, before the weight of the situation returned to drag her mood back down.    
  
<“Amity, thank you for this. I know we don’t have much time but-“>

Amity cut her off. “Don’t thank me yet, Luz.“ She didn’t look to see how, if at all, the ghostly teen reacted to her rude outburst. She just pushed herself even harder as she charged towards the Owl House. 

Luz didn’t reply, just furrowed her brow as she simply kept pace with Amity, giving her the occasional direction as they went.    
  
Had it not been so cold out today, Amity would surely have been sweating when she arrived. The icy air had taken its toll though, leaving her panting for breath though she took no time to catch it. 

Instead she ran right up to the door, bringing up her hand to knock only to cry out in alarm as what she had assumed was a decorative door knocker suddenly spoke and elongated itself. “HELLO! I’M HOOTY! NICE TA MEET YA, HOOT HOOT!“    
  
Amity liked to think that she was a somewhat cool, calm, and collected individual. At least, she had been before Luz had entered her life. So while the witch had managed to stifle her yelp at the sudden invasion of her personal space by the...door thingy, she still found herself on the ground, holding a spell in each hand aimed defensively at the owlbomination. 

<”No wait! Don’t shoot! That’s just Hooty, he’s harmless...ish? He’s at least friendly, maybe a little  _ too _ much though…”> Luz shrugged as she gave the other girl a sheepish look.   
  


Amity turned her head to look up at Luz, holding her gaze a moment before nodding and letting the spells fade. 

The absurd creature seemed utterly unbothered by what had just happened, and chose this moment to speak yet again. “YEP! I’M ME! OH, HI LUZ! LONG TIME NO SEE, HOOTY HOOT HOOT!“   
  
Both the girl’s attention now snapped back to Hooty, shocked looks etched on their faces. “YOU CAN SEE HER?!” <“YOU CAN SEE ME?!?“> They said in unison, Amity pointing at Luz with both hands while the girl in question pointed at herself with both of her own. 

The owl tube scoffed as it looked at them indignantly. “UH, DUUUUH? I’M A MAGICAL HOUSE DOOR GUARDIAN! YOU THINK I CAN’T SEE GHOSTS? GEEZ, GIMME SOME CREDIT HERE, HOOT!“    
  
Amity and Luz looked back to each other at his words, Luz rubbing her chin in thought. <“Huh, y’know, that actually makes a lot of sense. Guess I really should have wandered over here after I died, huh?“> Luz gave Hooty a halfhearted smile as she forced a little laugh. 

Hooty gasped comicaly loudly as his expression now mimicked what theirs had been only moments ago. “YOU’RE DEAD?!? AHHHH! A GHOST!“ He cried out in a terrified tone, before slamming his face into the ground and burrowing himself deep beneath it.    
  
Amity just sat staring at what all was visible of Hooty’s body between the ground and the door, her brain trying to make sense of what all she’d just seen. Luz just facepalmed and groaned. <“Classic Hooty.“> She said dryly. 

Just then, the door opened and the infamous Owl Lady herself stood before them, looking only a little less ferocious than she did on her wanted posters. “What’s all the racket about, Hooty? Hmm? Who the heck are you?“ She said, looking down to see Amity still sitting on the ground where she’d fallen.    
  
Amity shook her head as the woman’s words and sudden appearance snapped her out of her dumbfounded state. She stood up swiftly, her heart suddenly hammering in her chest as she swallowed her fear and held out an only slightly trembling hand towards Eda. 

“A-Amity Blight, ma’am. I….I know Luz was your apprentice and I-“ Amity suddenly found herself nose to nose with Eda, the woman having cut her off by grabbing her winter coat collar and yanking her up to be on the taller witch’s level.    
  
“You know Luz?! Have you spoken to her?! Where? When? What did she say? Is she alright? Why hasn’t she come back? How-“ Amity grit her teeth and shoved herself away from Eda, only managing to now be held at arm's length as the older woman’s strength was more impressive than one would assume at first glance. 

“There’s no TIME! I can’t answer all your questions right now, and Luz is here with me.“ She pointed at the ghost, who waved at them with a nervous smile. “Right there.“    
  
Eda leaned her head to the side, looking at the spot Amity was gesturing to. She raised an eyebrow and returned her now far sterner gaze to meet Amity’s. “Don’t play games with me here, kid. Now did you or did you not- “ 

This wasn’t working, Amity thought to herself. She hadn’t thought about what she’d actually  _ say _ when she got here, or how the Owl Lady would react, she’d just acted on a whim fueled by desperate hope. She needed this witch’s help right now, and to do that she had to get past all this twenty questions crap. Another mad idea sprung into the emotional tornado that was her teenage mind, and it seemed about as good to her as any.    
  
“I KILLED HER!“ Amity shouted, hands shaking as her eyes began to well with tears. There was a pregnant pause as Eda’s eyes slowly widened, before her grip loosened and Amity dropped back onto her feet. 

“You….killed Luz?“ Eda said softly, eyes staring at nothing. Amity’s face was contorted with emotions as she nodded.    
  
“Yes, I did. A-“ She suddenly found herself with a fireball spell held an inch from her forehead and a dagger of ice pricking her neck. __

_ “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t end your worthless life right now.“  _ Eda growled menacingly, her eyes far colder than the frigid weapon pressed against Amity’s flesh.    
  
<“Eda, no!“> Luz cried out, but of course to no avail. 

However, Amity simply smiled past gritted teeth and let out a choked half sob, half laugh. “Because you’d just be doing me a favor if you do.“

Eda’s eyes narrowed as she pushed the deadly spells closer, singing Amity’s hair and drawing blood from her skin.    
  
“Do it.“ Amity said softly, tears flowing down her face freely now, the look on her face becoming peaceful as her smile did not falter, only grew. “Kill me, Eda the Owl Lady, the most powerful witch in the boiling isles. Kill me and save me from the  _ lifetime _ of suffering I will endure until I can be with Luz again.“ 

Eda’s look grew more wary now, slight confusion visible on her face.    
  
<“Amity…. No, don’t-“> Amity held up a hand towards Luz to stop her, turning her head slightly to the side to look at her. 

“Or, Eda the owl lady, most powerful witch in the boiling isles. Help me, Amity Blight, a magical freak of nature with more power than I know how to handle….“ Her hand turned from palm out, to palm up, gesturing at Luz as she returned her gaze to meet Eda’s. “Save the girl I love.“   
  
Her voice held utter conviction, not a hint of doubt nor a seed of deceit. Her eyes, though full of tears, were clear and her mind was set. 

Eda could see all of this, and again her eyes darted to the side, looking at empty space once more, but this time her expression slowly softened as nearly forgotten knowledge began to bubble to the surface of her mind. 

“...Luz?“ She said to the thin air, knowing full well she wouldn’t be able to see nor hear the girl if she was a ghost afflicted by the murderer’s curse, but… “Staff, to me.“ She said, the fire spell vanishing as she held out her hand on an outstretched arm. A moment later, Owlbert was in her grasp, and she stabbed the base of the staff into the ground beside her.    
  
“Luz, if you can hear me, pick up Owlbert. The magic in him should give you the strength to….lift him.“ Her eyes began to well with tears as she stared at the now floating staff, shaking slightly in the air at her eye level. “...by the titan.“ She whispered softly, as she let the other deadly spell dissipate from her hand held at Amity’s neck.    
  
“Blight...I don’t know how or why, and right now, I don’t care. But it’s been  _ MONTHS _ now, and I know how this stuff is supposed to go.“ She said, her gaze still glued to the staff that Amity could see was held in Luz’s trembling hands. 

The two girls locked gazes, both sets of eyes filled with tears, before Amity spoke up. “I know, Luz told me. She doesn’t have much time left. But, with your power and my raw magic, I know we can-“    
  
“Stow it, Blight. I know what you’re getting at. Yes, there is a way to save her. At this point she’s either about to turn vengeful, or she forgave you for some asinine reason.“ Eda closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh, reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose. 

“Knowing Luz,  _ and _ given that you said the word  _ love _ , I can only assume it’s the latter. In which case, do you really think you’re the only murderer to fall in love with their victim? It’s called Stockholm syndrome you wretch, and we’ll deal with it  _ AFTER _ we fix this.“ 

Eda turned on her heel and rushed back into her house, leaving Amity and Luz to look at one another in a mix of confusion and hope.    
  
Moments later, Eda had returned with a backpack full of things, wearing a warm coat and hat. “C’mon, we’re going to the knee. Gonna need powerful magic for this spell to work, and YOU better be as strong as you say you are, Blight. Otherwise-“ 

  
Eda glared daggers at Amity as she poked her in the chest with an accusing finger. “ _ YOU’RE _ going to be haunting  _ ME _ .“ She said, as she jerked the thumb of her other hand towards her own chest. Eda then retrieved Owlbert from Luz’s invisible grip and quickly sat astride it. “Now get on and hold on, we’re not wasting any more time than we have to.“   



	2. Ch. 11: Convergence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eda is a powerful witch
> 
> Amity is a witch full of power
> 
> The Knee is a place that radiates with the power of the Boiling Isles 
> 
> All of these things are needed if they are to save Luz from her fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second step on our journey of a thousand miles. 
> 
> Posting the same day as the first chapter because I didn't feel right having the only chapter out be partially RainbowJeff's work and partially mine. Wanted to have something out that was solely me, myself, and I. Didn't feel right otherwise.

# Chapter 11: Convergence

  
  
Luz and Amity had quickly piled onto Eda’s staff and the trio had departed immediately, rocketing off into the sky at a breakneck pace. It had only been a few minutes since then, and all of it had been in silence, which was only partially due to the howling wind rushing past their heads.  
  
Amity chose this moment to look behind her at Luz, who was holding onto the staff with both hands with much the same degree of a white knuckled grip as Amity herself was. An utterly absurd notion entered her head as she saw this, her face contorting as she tried to refrain from smiling like an idiot. 

Luz took notice of this after a few moments of casting her gaze down at the drealily shaded world below, eyes wide and full of curiosity. She focused her sight on the girl before her and cocked her head as she gave Amity an indignant look. 

<”What? Eda only ever took me out on this thing like, one time! I’m gonna enjoy the view while I know I still can! Even if it does just all look like noir central down there.“>  
  
Amity snorted as her resisted smile grew, now barely restrained by her teeth as she bit her lower lip. Perhaps it was the altitude, or maybe it was her feelings for the pretty girl. Might be the hope she had felt welling up inside her as she had rushed towards Luz’s mentor’s home, and that had since broken the dam of her despair and now swelled within her. But whatever the reason, she couldn’t restrain herself any longer and at last spoke her mind.  
  
“L-looks like you have quite th-the… _death grip_ there!“ She stammered out, tears of mirth in her eyes as she looked pointedly at Luz’s hands, then back up to her face.

The ghost stared back at her, momentarily dumbstruck as she blinked a few times, before tossing her head back and erupting into raucous laughter. Amity lost it as well and began laughing too, squeezing her eyes shut as her body shook from the force of her laughs. 

“Blight, did you just...ok, know what? Now is _seriously_ not the time, and I am _absoLUTELY_ not in the mood, but I gotta admit, that was kinda good. But make another death joke before I get Luz back and I _SWEAR TO THE TITAN_ I will _tear out_ your heart with my _bare hands_ , then set your useless hide on fire and blast your charred remains into the sun! _Got it_ !?“ Eda snapped angrily over her shoulder at the girl.  
  
Amity and Luz’s laughter paused for only a moment, before both started up again, even louder this time. The absolute absurdity of it all was just too much for Amity to take right now, her mind and emotions far beyond overloaded. Joy, hope, love, fear, anger, sadness, it felt like she was feeling every emotion all at once. 

The only thing she could think to do right now was laugh, because if she stopped to think about _anything_ else for even a second, she was certain she’d curl up into an Amity shaped ball of shivers and tears on the floor.  
  
Eda growled angrily before sighing. “Great, not only is she a murder, but she’s _insane_ , too. Juuust perfect.“ The elder witch shook her head ruefully, but didn’t discourage the laughter any further and said no more until they reached the Knee.  
  
\---------  
  
Only a few more minutes passed before they reached the summit, which was a far stretch shorter than the hours long hike Luz and Amity had taken to reach the peak upon their first visit.

All three women disembarked from the staff and stood in the snow, Amity and Luz waiting for Eda to tell them what to do while Eda herself stood still for the moment, gazing forlornly at the view around them.  
  
“I always wanted to take Luz here someday. Would have walked of course, the hike is worth it just for the scenery alone.“ Eda spoke in a remorseful tone, the grip on her staff tightening for a moment. 

Amity watched as Luz stepped towards the Owl Lady, and reached out a hand to take hold of Eda’s empty one. The powerful witch gasped in awe and looked down at her hand, then slowly curled her fingers around the invisible girl’s cold appendage. 

“And now you have.“ Amity said as she walked up on Luz’s other side and took her hand as well, interlacing their fingers. She looked first at Luz, giving her a soft smile, then at Eda with a serious expression and a nod to let her know she was ready.  
  
“....no, not yet I haven’t. But I will.“ Eda said as she gave Luz’s hand a small squeeze before letting go and moving quickly towards the center of a large clearing nearby. 

“Now Blight, I’m going to need you to do _exactly_ what I say, as I say it, and _when_ I say it. Think you can handle that?“ She said, not looking at the girl as she began removing items from her bag with one hand, while she tapped Owlbert on the head with the other.  
  
Amity nodded again as she responded. “I can. Just tell me what to do.“ 

Eda snorted as owlbert hopped down off her staff and began helping her, their telepathic link meaning he already knew what she needed done. “We’ll see. For now, just stand there and don’t be a nuisance.“ 

Amity pursed her lips and let out a long breath from her nose, but did as she was told.  
  
<”Amity...look I…“ >

The witch turned to look at Luz, her full attention on her now. 

<”It’s just...If this doesn’t work, I wanted-“>

Amity’s free hand shot out, placing her fingers over Luz’s lips. “It _will_ work, luz. I mean, It has to, right?“ She couldn’t start thinking about this failing right now, she _wouldn’t._

She gestured at Eda, who was carefully drawing magic circles at specific points in the air and on the ground as she held an open book in her free hand, while Owlbert placed various objects in or near them. 

“We have the self proclaimed most powerful witch in the boiling isles with us!“ She gestured then at the area around them. “We’re at the most magical place in all of Bonesburrow, and-“ She placed her hand upon her own chest. “I’ve got more magic in me than I have any right to possess. This _has_ to work, Luz. I can’t-“ She stopped abruptly, then gave her head a little shake. “It’ll work, I promise.“  
  
Luz’s face had a hopeful smile on it the whole time Amity spoke, but her eyes held a sadness to them that made the witch’s heart ache. Luz took hold of the wrist of Amity’s free hand and brought it up to her face, nuzzling her icy cheek against its palm as she closed her eyes. 

Luz sighed as she grimaced, opening her eyes and taking a step closer to Amity as she looked to the girl with a tortured expression. <”I want it to, _so badly_ I want it to. More than i’ve wanted anything before in my life, Amity...but-“>  
  
“ _Please_ ….please don’t.“ Amity said, shaking her head again as her eyes filled with hurt and her lips began to quiver. “Don’t make me think about this right now, not when we’re so close, not when we have this chance to _fix_ things. I can’t….I _won’t_ let this fail, Luz.“ 

The ghostly teen’s lips twitched upwards in a pained smile. She leaned forward and rested her forehead against Amity’s, looking deep into her eyes. <“I know you won’t…I’m just scared, Amity. I want to-, no, I _need_ you to know how I feel-“>

Amity shook her head again, speaking over Luz’s words. “B-but I already know how you feel! You don’t need to say anything, all you have to do is stay, and to stop acting like you can’t anymore!“ 

But Luz continued on, only speaking louder as she let go of Amity’s hand and placed her palm against Amity’s cheek. The living girl placed her own hand atop Luz’s there, pushing her cheek into the cold touch of her love. 

<“Amity we have _no idea_ If what Eda is doing will work, and If I say nothing now a-and something goes wrong, and I don’t get the chance to tell you-”>

Luz’s words were cut off as Eda called out to them, pulling their attention to her. “Alright Blight, get your butt over here and stand _right there_.” She said, pointing at a spot on the ground at the epicenter of all her and Owlbert’s rapid work. 

Amity’s lips twisted upwards into a tortured smile as she whipped her head back around to look at Luz. “See Luz? E-everything is fine! Eda’s already set up and ready to save you!” She began to pull away, intending to bring Luz with her but she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder pulling her back to face the ghost once more. 

Gold met brown for what must have been the thousandth time at least, but this time was different than all the rest. As Amity stared into the eyes that belonged to the abyss of her own making, it felt like all of the world around them faded away into nothingness, leaving only the two girls in its wake. 

<”If you won’t let me say it, then I’ll just have to show it.”> Luz said softly, bringing her hands up to either side of Amity’s head, brushing an errant lock of the girl’s hair out of her face. 

The living witch felt like time slowed to a crawl, feeling herself pushing forwards even as Luz drew her in. A second passed as though it was a year, then another, her own frantinc heartbeat the only sound she could hear. The spell was broken as Luz suddenly closed the gap, pressing her lips to Amity’s. 

Every wish the girl had ever wanted was replaced in that instant by the sole desire for this moment to never end. 

Amity let her eyes drift close as she melted into the kiss, feeling Luz’s cold lips against her own for the first time. Her hands moved up Luz’s back until her fingers slid into the ghost’s messy hair and found purchase there. She held her tight for what felt like an eternity, now able to taste the salt of freshly shed tears between them, which only drove Amity to pull Luz closer and kiss her harder. 

Luz was the one to pull away, Amity trying to follow as her love’s face drew away from her own. It took her a moment to remember she needed to breathe, suddenly taking in a raspy, ragged breath of the winter air into her lungs. Slowly she opened her blurry eyes to look at the girl still held in her arms, seeing the streaks of tears flowing down her ghostly face as well. 

“You’re beautiful.” Amity said at last, being the only thing she could think to say. Luz smiled and gave a little shake of her head. 

<”Shh...you said it yourself, you don’t need to say anything.”> Her ghostly half replied, followed by a short, sob choked giggle. 

Amity bit her lip hard as she could to try and keep from sobbing herself, nodding back to her. “Y-you’ve already said everything.” She managed to say in a strained whisper, before she nestled her chin in the crook of Luz’s neck and hugged her like it was the end of the world.

The moment was broken as Eda’s voice called out again, louder and more insistent this time. “BLIGHT! Center of circles, _now,_ and bring Luz.“ 

The two girls drew apart from one another after just one more second of their embrace. Now holding each other’s gaze, they both nodded and walked hand in hand to where Eda had directed. 

“Now normally, this kinda thing takes time, and lots of it. Gotta prep the ghost, the land, and the anchor for what’s gonna happen, and then _have_ it happen carefully. Measure thrice cut once and all that crap.“ 

Eda sighed and looked around them forlornly at the veritable minefield of spells and artifacts scattered around. “Unfortunately, thanks to _you_ , we don’t have that luxury.“ 

Amity flinched but didn’t reply as she took her place, with Luz close beside her. 

“So we’ll be doing this the quick, dirty, and dangerous way. Which, honestly is more my style anyway.” She shrugged, then tossed the book she’d been reading from earlier towards Amity. 

“Here, make that spell I marked in there, and then cast it when I tell you to. Make _sure_ It’s over your heart, _and_ that you’re holding Luz to your chest, facing to face, when you cast it too.” 

Amity caught the book and carefully examined the spell she saw on the pages. It was exceptionally complex, but since she didn’t have to memorize it she figured she could do it.

Amity nodded to herself, then held the book out to Luz. “Here, hold this open for me?”

The ghost nodded as she took the offered book with her free hand, as Amity began to draw the spell circle over her own heart like instructed. 

<”Ask her what it’ll do.”> Luz asked, curious despite it all. 

Neither girl wanted to let go of the other’s hand, and so they hadn’t. Amity couldn’t help but chuckle softly before she asked Luz’s question. “Luz wants to know what it’s going to do.” 

Eda crossed her arms. “Eh, fair enough. If it all goes to plan, this ritual will bind her soul to the magic in your bile sack. Under reasonable circumstances, we’d be _RE_ binding her soul to the magic of the isles themselves, which is a link that is lost when the ghost forgives their killer. OR it gets drastically enhanced when they go vengeful and kill their killer, which then tethers them to either their original place of death or the place they took revenge upon their killer at. Either way, _not_ the outcome we want.” 

She gestured at Amity’s chest where she was casting the spell. “Remember when I said I'd rip out your heart? I _meant_ it, because you don’t need to be _alive_ for this magic to bind her to it. All I need is your heart and a few other things to make sure the heart keeps beating, but that’ll take more time than I want to spend, _plus_ that will only work in theory.” 

She planted her hands on her hips as she looked at the ground in thought. “Come to think of it, _all_ of this should work in theory, but it’s never been _done_ this way before. Well, not successfully anyway.” 

Amity’s hands began to tremble as Eda finished speaking. “It’s...it’s _never_ been done like this? Have you at least done this before in the normal way?!” She asked in a shaky voice. 

Eda took a deep breath and let it out slowly, but didn’t look up from the ground as she spoke. “Yep, but only once.” 

She didn’t elaborate, which drove Amity and Luz to exchange a nervous look. 

“ _But_...it’s the only choice we have, so either this works and I get Luz back…” Eda said, drawing the girl’s attention back to her as she looked up at last. Her eyes were boring into Amity with an intensity that made the girl uncomfortable. 

“Or you die, likely in a quite messy and horrible fashion, and I get to have avenged Luz’s death. So for _me_ it’s a win win!” The smile she gave Amity was quite disconcerting.

Her head was spinning and her mouth was dry, but she steeled her resolve and nodded at the older witch. “Alright, I’m...I’m good with that.” 

Eda frowned and narrowed her eyes. “I don’t _care_ If you’re _good_ with that, Blight. This _whole_ thing basically hangs on the idea that your heart somehow has enough magic in it to sustain an _entire_ undead human body- _WHICH_ , by the way, has an _entirely_ different biology from that of a witch’s body. _AND_ it’s not even a body anymore, it’s a _ghost_ , a _human_ ghost, so the natural magic of a witch isn’t, and never _has_ been present inside her, so who even _knows_ how that’ll work! Plus, it’s _still_ gotta sustain you, too!! Hell, if we had the time I’d just kill you and bind Luz to the blasted thing on its own, since that’s the safest option of them all! Because if this ritual kills you....Luz is gone.” She pointed at Amity almost accusingly. “I’m essentially about to make your lifeforce, _her_ lifeforce.”

Amity felt Luz squeeze her trembling hand tighter, a gesture she was grateful for and quick to return. She opened her mouth to ask if it would hurt, but closed it without a sound as she realized she didn’t _care_ . Luz had already caused her more emotional pain than she could have ever imagined, even more than her parents maybe. What was a little more, even if it was physical? Because _WHEN_ It worked, she’d get to still have Luz by her side, and that was all she cared about now. 

“So...you gonna finish that spell circle, or am I doing all of this for nothing, Blight?” Eda deadpanned, distracting Amity from her thoughts. 

The young witch pursed her lips and clenched her open hand into a fist so tightly that it hurt, but it helped to quell the tremors. Letting out a shaky breath, she opened her hand back up and finished creating the spell, the magenta circle now resting just above her heart. 

“Done.” She said, before turning to face Luz as she finally unentangled their hands. 

The ghostly girl tossed the book back to Eda before she moved to stand toe to toe, chest to chest with Amity. 

The two teens wrapped their arms around each other in a firm hug, Amity blushing hotly at all of the close contact between them. 

Luz giggled at her, but was blushing as well, each gazing into the other’s eyes for what felt like an eternity.

<”I love you.”>

“I love you too.” 

Each whispered their confession to the other, before both turned to look at Eda and nodded.

Though she’d only seen Amity’s gesture, it was the only one she needed to see as she nodded in return. 

Eda held her arms out at her sides, both hands wide open. Owlbert returned to his place upon her staff and moved to float in front of her, glowing with an aura of yellow the same color as all of Eda’s spells. 

Each artifact around the clearing also began to glow with this same aura, and soon so too did the owl Lady’s eyes emit this light as well. A lattice of lines and glyphs began to appear in a dome shape above and around Amity and Luz, the magic so thick in the air that Amity felt like she was in a sauna, only cold and staticy.

When the dome was complete, each one of the artifacts Eda and owlbert had placed around the clearing shot out beams of yellow energy that connected with Luz. The girl grit her teeth and made a groan of strained discomfort, her frigid hands clawing at Amity’s back. 

“Now Blight!” Eda called out a moment later, to which Amity focused and felt the magic inside her flow into the spell she’d made. 

She felt a warmth around her heart, then a sudden jerk as though it had been grabbed and yanked towards the front of her ribcage. The young witch gasped with distress, then cried out as a searing heat filled the organ, electric tingles like the pins and needles of a limb that's fallen asleep now dancing around the outside of the blood and bile pumping muscle. 

Her eyes went wide as she felt a sensation she could only imagine must be what it’s like to have your muscles torn apart, her chest and head exploding with pain as she screamed in agony. Despite it all, she did not move from her spot, not even when it felt like every nerve in her body was on fire. And even when her muscles began to spasm, though she trembled violently, she did not leave that spot nor let go of Luz.

Everywhere on her body felt like it was freezing cold and boiling hot at the same time. Stars danced in her eyes and the world she could barely make out past them was a blur of Luz’s colors and grey nothingness, swaying and shifting as tears of agony distorted her vision. Amity’s teeth ground together so hard she felt like she was going to tear her jaw off just from clenching it shut so tightly. 

Abruptly, it all stopped in an instant, every inch of her body screaming from overstimulation, sending a thousand different signals to her overworked brain. 

She couldn’t feel her arms. Some part of her knew she’d let go of Luz and that they hung limply at her sides, but she couldn’t feel anything at all besides the tortuous prickling that felt like a hundred wasp stings in every cell of her being. 

Well, that wasn’t true, she thought in woozy amusement, her mouth attempting to morph into a grin as she stood on unsteady legs. She could feel her heart, hear it beating loudly and rapidly in her ears as it hammered away inside her chest. 

Maybe too rapidly, maybe erratically, she couldn't be certain, not with the encroaching darkness descending upon her sight and her mind. 

Amity let out a drunken giggle as she watched the unfocused mess of grey and Luz colored shapes swirl in her sight. “...Luz~” She managed to push out of her uncooperative lips, past her traitorous vocal chords, slurring the name despite her best efforts. 

And with that, the teen’s sight went skyward as her eyes rolled up in their sockets, her body falling forwards into the snow as total blackness engulfed her monochrome world. 


	3. Ch. 12: Through a Mirror, Darkly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amity awakens in a place unlike any she's ever been. And yet, at the same time, familiar in all the wrong ways...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to get this out last weekend, been done with it since the 27th of last month! But, sometimes your editors have stuff they gotta do, so....well at least it gave me plenty of time to polish it! Also, I FINALLY found a song for the tone I'm going for with my story, or at least for the tone right now in this chapter. 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLE9qXN8Sqo&t=5s
> 
> Also, I had this fun thing I did with some specific text early on, and at the end. I changed its size because its supposed to be very softly heard, and later on I changed it from small to larger and larger until it matched the size of the basic font. But, well, different text sizes don't translate correctly into the format on here, sad face. 
> 
> Anyways, hope you all enjoy! There's much more to come, I can promise you that!

# Chapter 12: Through a Mirror, Darkly

  
  


Amity felt…wrong, off. She couldn’t exactly place her finger on _why_ though. Slowly, the girl opened her eyes, revealing the world of grey she had come to know over these past few months. However, what she saw as she gazed about her surroundings no longer matched what she remembered from before.   
  
She wasn’t at the Knee anymore, that much was made instantly clear by the ceiling above her. Sitting up and turning her head this way and that, she took in more of the building. Amity gulped as she realized she had no idea where she was, this didn’t look like anyplace she’d ever been in before that she could recall. 

“Hello? Luz? Owl Lady?” She called out, swinging her legs off the couch she had been laying upon to set her feet on the floor. Silence was all that greeted her words, which only made her trepidation grow.   
  
There was light enough to see, but it didn’t seem to come from any specific sources. Looking at one of the fixtures on the wall, Amity could see that the area around it was closer to a white than a grey, so light _had_ to be coming from it, but it held no spell nor flame to _emit_ it. 

The room around her looked somehow both well lived in, yet abandoned and dilapidated at the same time. The furniture was worn and the various chachkies and other belongings she could see seemed in serviceable conditions, but they all looked to be coated in a thick layer of dust. 

Amity looked at the couch she was on and sure enough, she’d cleared some of it away with her movements as she’d gotten up. She brought up a hand to look at her palm and saw the same substance on it as well. The witch rubbed her fingers together, the stuff between them feeling grainy yet oily, like wet sand. 

Amity furrowed her brow and wiped her hand on the couch to remove the offending texture before standing up. Now upright, she noticed a strange sensation in her body, like she was weightless. 

“Woah!” She said in alarm as she flailed her arms for a moment, trying to find her balance. Her frown deepened as she found that, while she knew she _felt_ wrong, her body didn’t seem to have any trouble at all with its new seeming lack of mass. 

A terrible and terrifying thought crossed her mind, both her hands shooting to her chest, gripping it above where her heart should reside. She scrunched her eyes shut and focused inward, daring not to harbor the idea that she might be- 

…

…

_Thump-_ Thump

Amity let out a shuddering breath of relief as she felt the faint sensation of her heartbeat inside of her. She didn’t care at the moment that it felt strangely distant to her, nor that it seemed so slow. So long as she could feel it, she couldn’t be dead, right? So that meant that Luz _had_ to be alive!...Somewhere. 

Focusing on that train of self-rationalizing thought, she opened her eyes and tried to figure out what to do next. Wherever she was, it had to be a result of the binding ritual, right? Something must have gone wrong somehow....

Amity shook her head forcibly in an attempt to clear her mind of such notions, not wanting to dwell on what might have gone wrong at the Knee. It didn’t matter how or why she was here, she just needed to find Luz, or a way back to her. _That_ was all that mattered right now.

Nodding to herself, she took a deep breath and made her way towards the door of the building and swung it open. The sight that greeted her sent chills down her spine and drew a fearful gasp from her throat. The world outside was various shades of grey, as she’d expected, but starting roughly ten feet or so away from this building in every direction, was something she’d never seen before in her life. 

Everywhere she looked, the world was coated in that same glaze of odd dust. Up to that ten foot mark, it was the same as inside, a thick coating on the ground. But just past that point, it piled up thick like snow, six inches deep at least. In addition to that were large tangles of what she could only describe as cobwebs. They were in every tree, seemingly having replaced any greenery they once may have had. It stretched between the bare branches like some horrid mockery of rotten candy, wispy strands of the stuff connecting some trees to others. Every one of them had multiple strands leading down to the ground around them as well.

This went on for as far as she could see, in fact the only immediate place she could see that _didn’t_ look this way was the building she’d just awoken in. Amity tentatively stepped out from the seeming safety of the house and looked to her right, seeing more unsettling cobweb forest. 

Swinging her head to the left, the teen’s eyes widened with uncertainty, awe, and fear. She saw what should have been the sea, only it was unaturaly still and, at least to her, looked pitch black in color. It looked more like a floor made of perfectly smooth, featureless obsidian than it did an ocean. 

To add to the creep factor, it looked like the whole thing was raining in _reverse._ An uncountable number of drops of the stuff slowly rose out of the black stillness with nary a ripple before they floated up into the sky. They ranged in size from barely visible specks, to ones she guessed were larger than the house behind her. 

Amity’s eyes tracked a particularly large orb as it levitated upwards into the sky. Her irises shrank and she felt a subtle chill traverse her body as she saw what lay above this place. 

It was like an endless landscape of pitted valleys and craggy mountains made out of glossy wax. To her it looked as though the surface of the moon itself had replaced the clouds, air, and stars. The orbs of darkness would push up into this surface and spread out through its lowest points, giving the entire thing the look of an impossible map covered in rivers and lakes of slow moving, indefinable ink.

Wherever _here_ was, Amity knew she wanted _OUT_ as soon as possible. Everything felt and looked wrong on almost every level, and every second she stayed was a second to long in her mind. 

The witch turned and looked up at the house, taking only a few moments to recognize it as the home of Luz’s mentor, the Owl Lady. She reached for the door and looked at its front, only to feel another chill spread through her entire body. 

The space that had held that aggravating magical guardian was there, but it had no face, no features. It was just the carved outline of an owl’s head in the center of the door and nothing more. 

Amity swallowed and slowly stepped away, giving the door a little push as she did so it swung closed with a soft click. On a whim, she tested the handle and sighed in relief when she found it to still be unlocked. 

Closing it again, she turned and faced the unnerving world ahead of her, only one idea in her head to work off of. Before she was wherever here was, she was at the Knee, so that’s where she intended to return to. 

The teen began to cast a spell for defense, not wanting to encounter whatever had made all these webs without some form of protection. However, as she created the spell circle, it suddenly ignited at the point of origin and burned like a fuse. As it was consumed it crumbled into dust that fell to the ground, blending in with the rest of the detritus. 

Amity snatched her hand away from the spot in the air she’d been casting at. “Is- was all this stuff… _magic_?” She said to herself in shock, looking at her hand, then to the ground, before returning her gaze to the webs all around. She clenched her hand into a fist and set her lips in a thin line before turning and going back into the house. 

Some searching later and she’d found an entire room full of various weapons. She took a bow and a quiver of arrows, wanting something to replace her lack of spellcasting ability for range. After looking through what seemed to be all the bladed and blunt implements, Amity let out a resigned sigh as she took an old cutlass from a barrel. “Wish the Owl Lady had a flail, wouldn't mind wielding the weapon of love for this.” She said to herself with a bemused smirk.

As she moved to leave the room, the witch paused, looking at the shelves full of bombs for the fifth time or so since entering this room. She couldn’t help but question why the Owl Lady had so many explosives laying around, not to mention all these other weapons. 

Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she plucked one from a shelf and stared at it for a few moments. “...you could be useful I suppose…” She held the black ball for a few more seconds, then let out a frustrated sigh before putting it back. “If I could _light_ you without my magic! Stupid freaking creepy world.”

While passing back through the room she’d awoken in, something caught her eye from behind the couch. Going over to inspect it, she saw a thinner, more elegant and better crafted blade hanging on the wall. It had a bone for its cross guard, and what seemed to be a rib for the pommel.

Not only was it closer to the kinds of swords she’d used previously, that being lighter, double edged blades, It also looked way cooler! With a shrug, she took the sword from its spot and hung the one she’d gotten from the weapon room in its place. Amity now felt appropriately kitted out to hopefully not get murdered immediately by whatever horrors lurked in this terrible place. As such, she headed out the front door for a second time, closing it behind her once more as she looked upon the monstrous visage of this twisted world before her yet again. 

Squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin, she gripped the sword tighter and stepped past the invisible boundary that seemed to be around the house, and out into the weird ash/dust/magic/snow. Her feet sank into the stuff up past her ankles, and she was glad she still had her winter clothing on, if for no other reason than to have more padding between herself and this…. _all_ of this that she’d now found herself in. She noted that it made almost no sound as her boots disturbed it. Nothing at all like the crunch of stepping into deep snow, and more like the gentle shifting of fine sand. 

Nothing immediately attacked her and she heard no other sound nor saw any movement as she stood in the inches deep dust. “Ok, good, not dead yet... “ She paused for a moment, then slowly brought up her empty hand and placed it over her heart like she’d done earlier.

…

…

Thump- _Thump_

She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding as she felt the pulse of the organ again. She just wanted to make sure, she told herself, never mind that it sounded a tiny bit different than last time. It was still there, so she was still good, right? Amity frowned and sighed, not exactly wholly convinced by her mental pep talk. Nonetheless, she readied her sword and proceeded onward into the cobweb woods.

  
  


\-------- 

  
  


Amity kept up a brisk but cautious pace, trying to make as little sound as possible while she kept her head on a swivel. From time to time, she _swore_ she’d see some of the cobwebs sway as though being affected by a light gust of wind, or shudder as though something more substantial had just moved them. But every time she looked more closely, there never seemed to be anything there. 

The trip so far had been nerve wracking to say the least, but at least the fear she felt was mostly overpowering her other thoughts and emotions. This plus her own years of practice at blocking out everything both internally and externally, helped her keep focused on moving forwards towards her goal, towards the knee and to Luz. 

As she reached the edge of the deeper woods and hit the more well walked path that led back to town and forwards to the Knee, Amity heard something. She froze, straining to make it out as she swung her head this way and that, looking for the source. 

It sounded like, voices but, distant, echoey, distorted. At the same time though, it seemed as though they were moving _past_ where she stood, as though moving down the path. They sounded familiar but she couldn’t tell what they were saying nor exactly where they were coming from. She was sure though, that it was absolutely two different women talking, she could tell that much. 

Slowly, they faded away off into the distance and she was once again alone with the eerie silence. The girl shivered, recalling a similar silence as she and Luz had been… Amity looked behind her, towards where she’d just been, then back to where she was. 

_Here._ Luz had stopped here, this was where the silence had been broken as they’d been heading towards the Knee. And it was where Amity had chosen a different path forwards, one that she hoped had- no, that she _knew_ had saved the girl she’d fallen for. 

Amity felt tears begin to well in her eyes and blinked them back down. Now wasn’t the time for that, she had to get back first. She would let herself feel again when she got back to the person that made her _able_ to feel again. 

She set off again, trudging through the deep dust and staying ever vigilant. Each footfall made small clouds of the stuff rise up around her shins as she headed onward towards the Knee. 

  
  


\------

  
  


The top of the Knee was within sight now, she was so close! But Amity refused to let her guard down in this place, she wouldn’t just rush in recklessly. She had to be careful, she _had_ to make it back to Luz.

Upon cresting the peak, she noticed two things immediately. The first was that there was a….she wasn’t sure exactly what to call it. Right in the middle of where she and Luz had been, a slowly swirling mass of magic was floating in the air, roughly at chest height. It was like an explosion frozen in time, and it was about three feet in diameter, she guessed. 

Below it was a large pile of the dust stuff, ever growing as the explosion was constantly eroding, particles falling from it like sand in an hourglass. Hundreds if not thousands of flickering fires etched their way around its surface, just like the one had when she’d tried to cast a spell. Each one had a trail of dust falling from it as they burned. 

The second thing she saw was a tall figure in a dark cloak, kneeling in front of the anomaly as it held a hand beneath one of the streams of magic dust. Its hand seemed to emit a constant hazy smoke that rose upwards from it, almost like the blurry afterimage left when you rapidly wave your hand in front of your eyes. 

Amity stared at the scene in shock far too long, for the figure’s head jerked to the side as though it heard something. Slowly, its hood turned to face her, and the figure spoke with a voice that echoed in her mind like hundreds of different people speaking the same words all at once. 

“Curious....You do not belong here, young one. And yet, here you _are_.” 

Amity stood frozen for only a moment before she shoved the sword in her belt and snatched the bow from her back, notching an arrow and aiming it at the figure. “Who are you!?” She called out in an assertive tone, despite her rapid breaths of fear and adrenaline. 

The figure slowly stood, its face hidden in complete shadow by the hood as it laced its fingers together in front of itself. “Hmm…. _ahh,_ yes, of course of course, that would make the most sense, now wouldn’t it?” The figure chuckled, its laughter not any one specific kind, but all of them. A giggle, a snort, a guffaw, loud, soft, high, low, and every other kind imaginable. The sound caused Amity to grimace with discomfort as it filled her head. 

The hood turned just a fraction to the side, presumably glancing at the eroding magical explosion. “I’m impressed, young one. Few choose to travel into The Nevermore, fewer _still_ in their full and true forms.” 

Amity abruptly felt the need to speak when it called this place by that name, though she had no desire to do so. “The realm that never is and always was.” Her eyes widened and her frown deepened as she spoke the unfamiliar words.

“Quite.” The mysterious stranger said, with something like mirth in its voice.

“Why did I just say that!?” Amity said aloud, and took a step forward, gesturing threateningly at the entity with her bow. “Why did I say that just now!? And I didn’t _choose_ anything! What’s going on?!” 

It turned its gaze back to her and cocked its head to the side. “Ah, is that so? How very interesting... and you seem In full possession of all your faculties as well! Seemingly unaccosted too, we take it? We detect no signs of Dream Weavers upon you...hmm….yes, _quite_ curious indeed.” 

Amity snarled and again jerked the bow towards them angrily. “Answer my questions! Who _are_ you? What is going _on_ here?! What’s a Dream Weaver? What are you doing here? And what is The Nevermore?!” 

“The realm that never is and always was.” It said simply in immediate reply as she spoke the name. Letting its hands fall to its sides, the hooded figure slowly looked back to the anomaly. “We are here because _this_ drew us here. So _very_ odd, not quite like anything we have ever seen before.” It turned to look at her once again. “Did _you_ make it? And if you so desire to assign us a name, then you may call us Mugio.”

Amity’s eyes darted between Mugio and the frozen magic explosion a few times before she answered. “Okay, Mugio, right...I...don’t know if I made it. But, I…I think I _need_ it to get out of here. I’m not-”   
  
“-Supposed to be here, yes, we know, _we_ know.” Mugio stood still for a few moments more, then stepped back and to the side, sweeping out an upturned hand towards the oddity. “You are free to pass, young one. But first, allow us to provide what answers we can to your other _burning_ questions, hmm? Mhmm.” 

Mugio clasped its hands in front of itself as it stared at Amity. “Mystery and riddles are all in good fun, but what we _believe_ you have accomplished here deserves a proper, and serious response. The realm in which you currently find yourself, young witch, is the one that resides between the realms of the living, and those of the dead. It is adjacent to the realm of dreams, and as such, is the hunting ground to the creatures that created the webs you’ve no doubt seen.” 

Amity nodded hesitantly, taken aback by the sudden change in Mugio’s demeanor. She’d read a _lot_ of books, and it was extremely rare for the mysterious, cryptic figure in those stories to just _explain_ things like a normal person! 

Mugio let out a contemplative hum. “Given that you didn’t bring them up before, and just now gave no immediate comment on them, we’ll assume you’ve indeed had the _extremely_ good fortune to have avoided seeing one of these beasts thus far.” They chuckled. “Well allow us to give you some ideas. Picture a spider roughly seven feet tall, and ten feet long. Now envision it being made entirely out of prismatic crystal full of swirling clouds of darkness, like dye droplets sinking through sparkling water.”

“These creatures exist only in this plane, though once also stalked the realm of dreams itself before they were summarily hunted down and eradicated. You see, the Dream Weavers have two types of prey; dreams themselves….and mortal souls.” 

Amity shifted in agitation at that, a gesture Mugio clearly noticed. “Uncomfortable? Understandable, and now you see why they were made extinct in the dream realm. It is while subconsciously traversing the dream realm that mortal souls are at their most susceptible to danger while still tethered to their flesh and blood bodies.” Mugio spread their hands out to their sides, palms up. “But here? There is no danger to the souls of dreamers here….with, _one_ caveat.”   
  
They held up a finger. “But we’ll get to that in a moment. For now, let us speak of the dreams they eat. Tell me, have you ever had a nightmare, young witch?” 

Again, the girl slowly nodded at the figure, who bobbed its head a few times in acknowledgment before speaking. “Yes, well, _that_ is because your dream was ensnared in the web of a Dream Weaver. You see, the act of them feeding upon a dream, turns it into a nightmare for whomever is experiencing it.” 

“Now then, while the essence of _dreams_ still drift into this world, _souls_ do not. Only one who _chooses_ to enter and walk these unholy lands is at risk. The most common instances of this occur when those using Oracle magic foolishly choose to scry or use divination spells without the use of an intermediary device, such as a crystal ball or bowl of water. Such items act as a sort of barrier and funnel between realities, allowing the use of Oracle magic to see through this realm to the specific end they seek.. But, _without_ such a thing…”

They shrugged. “The magic would draw the caster’s entire being into this realm. While here, they would be able to walk the world and exit it at their leisure, popping back out into reality at whatever point correlates to their location here, but the _danger_ is immense. You see, without a narrowed focus, the caster would be subject to _all_ of the possible outcomes of their spell, all at once. It is _far_ too much for any one mind to process, and most wouldn’t survive such a rapid onslaught of knowledge and imagery, either dying immediately or falling unconscious.”

“Just like normal Oracle magic, any magic cast in this unprotected way must find its target and return it to the caster for the spell to end. Normally, any act that disrupts a witch’s casting would end their magic channeling, and force a premature end to the spell. However, this realm is predominantly _made_ of Oracle magic, and as such if a witch were to fall unconscious here before ending their spell, it will continue to drain them as the spell is then partially fueled by the realm itself. They are still casting the spell though, so their own reserves will inevitably run dry. Once their spell and this realm robs them of all magic in their body, it spits them back out into the real world, wherever it is that they fell in this one.”

It clasped it’s hands in front of it once more. “Those are the lucky few, for while weakened and oftentimes ill or injured, they yet live. For most, they are found by a Dream Weaver while in this state, and it then devours their soul. The physical body left behind then crumbles into dust.”

Amity’s eyes widened, glancing down at the dust piled around her feet with newfound horror. 

“Oh come now, no need to be so dramatic, few are so foolish as to do such a thing in this day and age. It is not a _graveyard_ in which you stand, most of the detritus around us is simply the excretions of the Dream Weavers or the remains of ended nightmares after they have been drained dry of oracle magic. There are also undoubtedly other types of magic amidst it all that erroneously found its way here, and fizzled out. But yes, some are indeed the bodies of witches whomst have lost their lives.” 

“Now as I was saying, for _conscious_ witches who meet the gaze of a Dream Weaver, they are ensnared by a flood of impossible visions. This essentially forces them into a waking coma, from which the Dream Weaver can easily extract its meal.” 

Amity waited for them to continue, but they stayed silent. After a couple seconds, she gave them a questioning look. “So...why tell me all this? Not that it hasn’t been informative, but…” She shrugged, still wearing a guarded expression. 

The being was silent for a spell, before letting out another chuckle, making Amity wince as she was subjected to the cacophony of laughter in her head once again. “Why, because you asked, of course.” It said, gesturing at her with one upturned hand. “But...perhaps there _is_ more to it than that. Perhaps, we are just glad to finally have encountered someone seemingly worthy to receive the knowledge we possess? Perhaps it is because, as we mentioned earlier, only those who _choose_ to enter this domain may do so. And as we both know, _you_ did _not_ make such a choice...or, perhaps we are merely bored.” Mugio gently shrugged its shoulders. “Who is to say?” 

Amity’s face scrunched up with displeasure at the answers. This ‘Mugio’ didn’t know her, and didn’t owe her anything. And while it seemed to speak openly about most things, it simultaneously stayed cryptic on others, which only frustrated her further. Plus, she’d never even _heard_ about these Dream Weaver monsters, nor this creepy realm itself! Still, she’d arrived here with only questions, and now had _some_ answers, even if she wasn’t a hundred percent certain they were _real_. Perhaps the years of harsh treatment at the hands of her parents had turned her cynical and distrustful, but it didn’t sit right with her that Mugio would simply give her such knowledge without getting anything in return.

These thoughts were pushed to the wayside however, as she glanced over at the slowly shrinking explosion of magic once more. She steeled her gaze before turning it back to the figure before her, no longer caring to ask more questions, save one. All she wanted right now was to get back to Luz, nothing else mattered. 

“Right. OK then, so do you know how I can get back to the living world?” She said as she slowly sidestepped closer to the anomaly, keeping herself facing Mugio as she moved. 

“Living world? Are you so certain that _it_ is the place you belong, little witch?” Mugio asked curiously. 

This made Amity freeze in her tracks, having to stop herself from reaching towards her chest again to check for her heartbeat. “I’m not dead, I _can’t_ be. I _have_ a heartbeat.” She replied crossly. 

Mugio hummed with intrigue. “Is that so? How _very_ curious....you are indeed quite an enigma my dear.” It leaned towards her. “Then from where we stand, it would seem that you are neither _completely_ living, nor _certainly_ dead...I do hope we meet again someday my young, contradictory friend.”

Mugio stood back upright and pointed at the magical oddity. “Unfortunately, we can only _surmise_ that to return you to whence you came, you must make contact with the energy that brought you here.” It held up a finger and waggled it cautiously. “But be forewarned, it may not be a pleasant trip back.”

“I can handle it.” Amity replied confidently, knowing she’d do anything for the girl she loved. 

“Indeed....perhaps you can. But before you go, may we have the pleasure of knowing the name of the talented witch who managed to _accidentally_ tear, and subsequently tumble through, a hole into a forgotten and _forbidden_ realm?” 

The teen’s fingers fidgeted on her bow for a moment, before she slowly relaxed her arms and lowered the weapon. “No offense, but if you were in my position, would _you_ tell me _your_ name?”

Mugio began to tremble, causing Amity to begin drawing the bow back up before hearing that bedlam of noise in her head again that was Mugio’s laughter. It was louder and more maddening than before, making her groan and place a hand to her head, cowering back a bit. 

“NO! No we suppose we would not, little one!” It replied in a loud, joyful tone as it’s laughter died down. “You are wiser than we gave you credit for, and for that we can only blame ourselves.” Mugio bowed deeply to Amity as it spoke with respect. “Until we meet again, then. Farewell, realm traveler, we wish you good fortune in your future endeavors.” 

Mugio stood and began to back-step away, giving Amity ample space to interact with the anomaly. 

The girl watched them move away as she slowly stood from her pained cower. Slowly, cautiously, she returned the arrow to her quiver and the bow to her back, before moving over to the eroding spell that allegedly sent her here. She stayed on the opposite side of it from Mugio however, not wanting to let them out of her sight even still. 

Hesitantly she held out a hand towards it, pausing just shy of its surface. She could feel little pieces of it graze and tickle her skin as they floated and eroded around it. She took a calming breath, flicking her gaze up to Mugio again to make sure they were still there, before pursing her lips and clenching her other hand into a fist as she readied herself. 

With a yell, she plunged her hand inside, and immediately felt herself being drawn in. She shot out her other hand, pushing it into the resistant thing, feeling like she was pushing both limbs into heavy sand. 

She figured this was probably what being devoured by quicksand might feel like, dragging you deeper while simultaneously being resistant to your movements. That was, until she took her first step into it, at which point her world fractured and it was like reality itself began to unform before her. 

Her eyes went wide as she watched everything in front of her break apart into blocky pieces, like a puzzle box being taken apart and folded into itself at all points simultaneously. It was maddening, so she shut her eyes to stave off the insanity, pushing herself further in as she was simultaneously dragged in deeper. 

Colors flashed against her eyelids, shocking her momentarily since she hadn’t seen any colors for months other than those belonging to Luz. Well, her and every shade of grey that had ever existed. She _almost_ opened her eyes to see what was causing this, and that was when she felt like she was being stretched into infinity. 

It didn’t hurt, but it was _absolutely_ not a comfortable feeling. She could sense her fingers elongating, her hands and arms being pulled outwards, her entire being getting compressed and drawn out into an impossible singularity. 

And then she felt nothing at all. 

  
  


\-------

  
  


Amity suddenly knew what was wrong the last time she’d awoken, why she’d felt so strange. 

It was because she _couldn’t_ feel. 

And right now, she wished she still wasn’t able to.

She screamed, arching her back as Amity once again was aware of herself in its entirety. No longer did she feel light, muted, off, but instead she felt _whole_ , and all of her was in agony.

Her eyes snapped open, blurry grey shapes swimming in her vision as she awoke, still screaming. Her muscles spasmed and convulsed as she writhed in place, her scream turning into pained sobbing as the anguish began to fade into a dull ache in every inch of her being. 

Ragged, unsteady breaths rattled from her chest as she slowly regained her senses and sense of self. She was...somewhere, she couldn’t make it out, her eyesight was still too blurry, her mind still numb with the recent torment.

Suddenly, she felt something heavy lay upon her body, causing her further panic and making her flail her limbs in retaliation. Whatever it was just pushed harder against her, the witch pummeling whatever it was with her arms and legs until her brain finally began to make sense of sound as her hearing faded back into her conscious thoughts. 

_That….that voice…._ She thought, unable to make out the words just yet, but registering it enough to stop her panicked attacks. Amity blinked hard a few times and shakily turned her head to the side, her breath hitching as she saw color again. 

Luz’s colors. 

It wasn’t a _thing_ atop her, it was Luz. _Luz_ was hugging her, holding her tightly, saying tearful apology after apology in between whispered reassurances. Amity was finally aware of the girl’s fingers digging into her back, comprehending that it was _her_ weight that lay upon her, feeling _her_ breaths against her pointed ear as the girl spoke. 

Amity closed her eyes as she threw her arms around her love’s back. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she managed to speak a single word before breaking into joyous sobbing. “ _Luz~!_ ”

She was back, Luz was here, it had _worked_. Everything was fine now, she’d be ok, she was with Luz again. Nothing else mattered. 

They held each other for a long time, neither one saying a word, just laughing and crying in equal measure. Eventually, Luz drew back enough to meet Amity’s eyes, smiling widely at her. 

“You did it, Amity...you saved me!” She said softly in a happy tone, voice warbly from crying. Luz was stradling Amity’s legs, sitting on her thighs as she looked down at her while stroking the witch’s hair gently with a hand. 

Amity shook her head with a tearful giggle. “No, _we_ did it, together.” She said, shuffling herself back on the couch so she could prop herself up against the armrest. She returned one hand to Luz’s back as the other sought out Luz’s hand, interlacing their fingers when she found it. 

Luz giggled right back, giving Amity a tearful smile. “Yeah... _we_ did it.” She bent down slowly, sliding her hand from the other teen’s hair to her cheek. Luz gently rested her forehead against Amity’s, lovingly caressing her cheek with her thumb. A moment later, she pressed her lips gently to the other teen’s, sending gleeful sparks through every nerve in the witch’s body. It wasn’t a kiss like the one at the Knee had been, no this one was different. It no longer held that hint of fear and finality, but instead was full of hope and happiness. It still had that salty taste of tears though, but Amity didn’t mind at all, as these were tears of joy. 

Amity felt her entire body flush with warmth at that kiss, sighing blissfully as she let her eyes flutter closed again. She didn’t know how long it lasted, but eventually Luz broke the kiss, sighing herself before wrapping her arms around Amity’s head, hugging it to her chest. 

Having opened her eyes when the kiss ended, she closed them now once more. 

Thump- _Thump_

Amity finally noticed that Luz no longer felt as cold as she had before. She was still somewhat cool to the touch, but nowhere close to the frigid temperature she’d been since her death. 

Thump- _Thump_

She murred with content, chalking it up to something the spell did, and pushing it aside to ask about later. For now she was just content to hear herself breathing.

Thump- _Thump_

And to hear her own heartbeat.

Thump- _Thump_

Her eyes opened wide with realization as she heard it again. 

Thump- _Thump_

It wasn’t _HER_ heartbeat she was hearing.

_Thump_ -Thump

Thump- _Thump_

 _Thump_ -Thump

Amity could hear her own now, alongside the other. Hers had sped up, beating faster and louder in her ears as she listened. The other was calm, measured, _strong._

_Thump_ -Thump

Thump- _Thump_

 _Thump_ -Thump

She was certain, then, that it wasn’t her own.

_Thump_ -Thump

Thump- _Thump_

 _Thump_ -Thump

It was _Luz’s._

Thump- _Thump._

Thump- _Thump._

Thump- _Thump._

  
  


\--------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many questions that need answers...so look forwards to at lest SOME of them getting explained in the next chapter! Also, its gonna be a much more funny and lighthearted one, since i think we need a little break from all the feels and fears, yeah?


End file.
